Several frozen food packages are known in which the packaged food can be heated in a microwave oven prior to use. A common package of this type is the "TV dinner" package which is generally packaged in materials suitable for either a conventional oven or a microwave oven. In a typical package of this type, a metallic foil layer cover is retained for cooking in a conventional oven but is replaced with a plastic cover for cooking in a microwave oven.
Packages of this type are also known for various other types of food products including those containing portions which are intended to remain frozen, such as frozen desserts. These packages usually include a further component which is intended to be thawed or melted before use. Several such packages are described in the patent literature and a brief description of several examples follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,070 (Welch) discloses a method of heating a food package in a microwave heating apparatus. One embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 7, includes a one-compartment package in the form of an upside down cone containing ice cream and sauce in direct contact with each other. The package is gently heated in a microwave oven to only heat the interfaces between the sauce and the package. The package is then removed from the ice cream and sauce to leave a cold dessert wherein neither the ice cream nor the sauce have been heated substantially. The upper portion of this package may be provided with an exterior shielding of microwave reflective material to prevent excess heating of the sauce.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,325 (Slangan et al.) discloses a two-compartment package wherein the lower compartment includes frozen or refrigerated ice cream and the upper compartment includes frozen or refrigerated syrup which is supported on a sheet of microwave reflective material which forms a bottom closure of the upper compartment. The lower compartment of this container is substantially impermeable to microwave energy and the upper compartment is microwave permeable. The container is placed in a microwave oven and the syrup is melted. The container is then removed from the microwave oven and in one embodiment the upper compartment and the contents of the upper compartment is removed from contact with the lower compartment and the contents of the upper compartment are poured into the lower compartment. In another embodiment, the upper compartment is punctured to allow its contents to flow into the lower compartment and then the upper compartment is removed from the lower compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,198 (Levendusky et al.) discloses a metal container system for use in microwave ovens. The container has a bottom metal tray and a heat-resistant, microwave transparent lid. The metal tray includes an organic coating thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,566 (Moffett, Jr.) discloses a method for dielectrically heating a food package which may contain ice cream and a syrup and controlling the heating effect by an electrically conductive shield which acts to prevent heating waves from reaching some portions of the package. In the particular embodiment including ice cream and syrup, the ice cream is separated from the syrup by nn edible or other insulating barrier which divides the package into two distinct compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,896 (Standing et al.) discloses a food package for storing and heating frozen or refiegerated foods in a microwave or conventional oven. The microwave penetrable container includes therein a farinaceous food product and a separate condiment package housed entirely within the microwave reflective material which at least partially encloses the condiments. Upon heating, the condiments will be heated at a slower rate than the farinaceous food product in order to prevent overheating of the condiments.
It is an object of the invention to provide a packaged frozen food product containing a first frozen food component which is intended to remain substantially frozen when eaten and a second component which is intended to be thawed and which is in contact with the first frozen component when eaten, the package serving as a container for storing the frozen food, for heating the frozen food in a microwave oven to thaw and/or heat the second component, and, when merely opened, as a container for the food as it is being eaten.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the summary and detailed description which follows.